The prior art disclose numerous hockey training aids for practicing shots on a goaltender. One example of hockey training aids for practicing shots on a goaltender include a tarp or fabric material that attaches to the top and side poles of a hockey goal and is suspended vertically across the front of the hockey goal. Typically, the suspended flat vertical fabric material provides a two-dimensional graphic image of a goaltender in front of the goal, and has openings in the four corners and between the goaltender's legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,019, issued to Kronenberger, discloses a goalkeeping apparatus that includes a combination of a frame defining a hockey goal, a movable blocking element, and first structure for moving the blocking element in front of the frame. The first structure cooperates between the movable blocking element and frame for guiding the movable blocking element in movement relative to the frame. Alternatively, with the frame supported on a subjacent surface, the first structure cooperates between the movable blocking element and subjacent surface for guiding the movable blocking element in movement relative to the frame. The movable blocking element is constructed to simulate a “live” goalie or goaltender. That is, the movable blocking element is constructed substantially in the shape of an actual player having a full array of protective equipment and in an actual game stance. The size of the movable blocking element corresponds to the size of an average person that would play that position. The movable blocking element can be made from a flat piece of material or in three dimensions in the shape of an actual player.
There is a need for further training aids for playing the sport of hockey, and more specifically, to practice hockey goaltenders for practicing shooting hockey pucks into a net past a goaltender.